I don't WANT a parent helper to write comments about dd1's reading in her reading book!

[pilote]

Is she a teacher? NO! Am I being totally unreasonable to ask her teacher who this person is and what her qualifications are? The TA already does most of the reading and handwriting practice with dd1, what is her bloody teacher doing all day fgs.

I agree that parent helpers should not be commenting on how chn could improve their reading - unless of course they are qualified, which they may be. It's a different matter to record what the child has read and put a smiley face of something. I also agree that parent helpers are a wonderful help to teachers.

Yes, bu Juule, while your teacher was hearing the class of 30 read I wonder what the rest of you were doing? Presumably some kind of filling in exercise. I know, because as a teacher I have done this myself (I always try to hear readers at least once a week), but its not a very productive use of time.

Nowadays there are so many different aspects of the curriculum to be covered and there just arent enough hours in the day to cover them! When we were at school (many moons ago as you say! the curriculum wasnt anytning like so broad and so teachers had more time to hear readers. I actually think its better now, as teachers can focus their time on teaching specific skills, rather than just hearing readers practise.

BTW we teachers are extremely grateful to all you lovely parent helpers out there.

This is why personally I think that if the Curriculum is so overcrowded that personal things like your teacher listening to you read are crowded out, then the Curriculum should be cut down some.

Apprentice - parent helpers (unless qualified or training) are unlikely to pick up on reading difficulties that chn may be experiencing. If a child is rarely heard read by a teacher then chn with reading difficulties will slip through the net - which very often happens.

You're right, the curriculum is overcrowded now. On the other hand, I do feel that half an hour's intenisve teaching of reading skills, (whether whole class or in groups) is a more valuable use of the teacher's time than simply hearing a child practise their reading. The former needs to be done by a teacher, whereas the latter can be done by TA/Parent helper etc.

Cornsilk, I agree, and that is why I always try to hear readers once a week . My point is that for the rest of the week its valuable for the children to be able to practise reading with, say, a parent helper, but my time is better spent actually teaching something.

That will still not pick up on individual reading difficulties. (PERSONAL BUGBEAR!) Did you know that dyslexia in girls is very often not picked up until they reach university?

That was meant for previous post!

You're on another planet, love- the volunteers are what makes a difference between a basic school and one that flies imo. listening to reading, accompanying school trips, PTA- all of these things improve things for our kids and we should be damned grateful!

I am a helper!

Also, a child with reading difficulties shouldnt really slip through the net, as a teacher should be observing them reading continously (eg reading back work to you, words on worksheets, in exercise books etc). Teaching reading at the early stages should be part of almost every curriculum area, rather than something done in isolation.

BTW do you know she's not a teacher? I know of at least one former teacher MN-poster that goes into school to help kids read, also a lot of the Mums who do it at ours are on the teacher training route at the local Uni.

To come back to a point raised some way back, I've been to a 'training session ' on listening to children read and to several evenings on 'how we teach children to read'. I also, like Greeny, have a degree, several A-levels, am CRB-checked, am a governor, can read myself, have read the whole of the Rose Report into the Early Teaching of Reading, am well versed in the whole-language versus phonics debate, and taught DS2 to read before he started school.

As someone else said, it's not rocket science helping young children with reading.

My gripe is that parent helpers are expected to do jobs that qualified teachers should have time to do. It all comes down to funding.

pilote - what a horrible, chippy attitude you have. Tell you what, why don't you go into school and tell DD's teacher that you don't want the parent helper to write in her book - there that will make things much better won't it. Jesus.

No it's not rocket science - so why do chn still leave primary school unable to read to their ability level?

Am sure you a brilliant helper Cornsilk, you sound very committed - didnt know that about girls and dyslexia. I still maintain though, that any early years teacher worth their salt will soon be able to recognise any reading difficulties.

Getting these difficulties recognised by outside agencies though, now thats another story!

you are right about the funding too. If all children who needed it were able to take part in properly funded Reading Recovery type programmes (such as they have in New Zealand I believe), which begin at age 6, there would be far fewer problems here. But very few schools can afford such programmes.

At our school (terrible generally for SN) they screen every child for dyslexia at the end of year one, DS1 is also being re-screened now at junior level as he has started showing signs now (and he is on the autistic spectrum so there can be a link).
The signs can be difficult to see sometimes, not all dyslexia is about writing- for example my friends child is severely dyslexcic and it shows more in his memeory skills / organisational skills. She uses a school that doesn't have a screening program and paid a fortune for him to be dx'd.

Our Uni also offers screening, as so many people slip through the net. I know of at lest one case of that being abused for extra exam time though

But my experience of dyslexia etc is that it shows better as children read better- so practice with a parent at school would make the difficulties as theya re clearer so to enable a teacher to pick them out. And like someone said, everything involves reading to an extent- DS2's homeowrk this week- find out about Stevenson's Rocker: history but reading. DS1- circuitry- printed list of tasks to read.

I've helped out with this at school. No official training. No police check - but then I'm just sitting in the corner of the classroom, so not that much of an issue, surely. Anyhow, most of the kids have been to tea at my home - which, considering my culinary expertise, is potentially far more dangerous. But I digress. Yes, I've written "read well", "need a bit of help sounding out difficult words" etc. I have no issue with another parent doing likewise. It's good practice for the kids to get used to reading aloud to a number of different people, surely? Think DS' teacher hears him read once every two weeks or so, but TA or other parents usually do so on the alternate weeks. Am fine with this. Tbh, can't really understand OP's reaction, unless comments were incredibly scathing, in which case let's hear 'em so we can make an informed decision.

I agree with Juuule and I can see pilote's point of view. It's the anger in her words that is getting people's backs up maybe. I think I would bring it up at school pilote, get it off your chest if you can in some constructive manner. But you need to get beyond the anger first, if that makes any sense.

CRB essential for aprents alone with children at any point, even for a minute. If not, at discretion of school (i am CRB'd to the hilt, for past work and also as used to run rainbow group). I dont do reading with the kids though- I do go into school to help with other things, the ones people don't notice but complain if they don't happen (fundraising for equipment, etc)

get over it, be glad she gets one on one time reading
DD has comments in her reception book from her 10 yr old yr5 buddy who help the younger ones read

I agree with cornsilk. I think parent helpers are great - but I don't think they need to make 'teacher' type comments on a child's reading book, ours don't, they are there to hear a child read and thats it. I presume they bring it up with the teacher if there is a problem. I don't think I would feel that comfortable with a parent helper making concerned noises in my child's reading record - for one thing, she reads all the commments herself and can be very downcast by negative ones.

Havn't time to read whole thread but was a bit surprised at the OP's commments. I help in reception, to listen to reading on a 1:1 basis. The children enjoying reading with me, and the teacher is grateful for the extra practice it gives them. I took her advice about what comments to write and agreed that a positive and encouraging tone was most approriate. No, I am not a teacher but I do have a brain, and three DC of my own, so feel amply qualified to help ot.